Important Step That Many Forget

What if I told you that you are neglecting the one very thing that could allow you to live the life you always wanted? What if I said that we are brought up to believe that this aspect is greedy, selfish, or being too egotistical? I am talking about the fact that you have to take care of yourself.  Sounds simple, I know, but chances are you are reading this saying in the back of your head, I do... But, do you really? I mean think about it.............  The fact is this step is the bedrock of making yourself better, feeling the best you possibly can, and making lasting change.  This MUST be a priority.  I am proposing you be a bit selfish, you take care of you 1st, and carve out time for yourself in that busy schedule you keep each and every day. 

Self-Care is the foundation for improving one's physical, mental, spiritual, emotional health.  You neglect this, you feel it, it may even hurt, and it's hard to even feel fulfilled in life. 
Please understand that this is not me pointing a finger at you and condemning you, I'm trying to drive the message that deep down we all know:  You truly can't take care of another person unless you can effectively take care of yourself.  Sure, you can get by, but what you may be doing is distracting yourself from the things you truly should be doing for yourself. 

How does this happen? Well, we live extremely busy lives, always trying to keep up, do it all, care for those around us, not wanting to let anyone down and in this process- We come last.........

The reality is here in the US that there are entirely too many unhealthy people (overweight, sleep-deprived, over-stressed, and dehydrated).  Again, I'm not pointing a finger, and God knows I have my flaws with things to work on, but the statistics show that frankly, as a whole, we Americans just don't take great care of ourselves.  I'm not ok with this and believe why one of my passions in life is working with people to improve their overall Health and Wellness.
Bottom-Line, It's up to YOU.  People like me and Jami, we can help, and we love to, but we put the plan in place and you work the plan.  That's the KEY... You have to have a routine, a plan, a template you can default to and have on autopilot each and everyday. 

Here's some General Guidelines we use for ourselves and with Clients:

1]  Work quality sleep into your schedule, 6 to 8 hours.  This may be a challenge for some, but you may have to get creative with naps even.  You cannot skimp on this, lack of sleep will catch up with you.  Neurologically, you will not be the best you could be.

2]  When you eat, eat until you are full.  For most this means smaller portions.  Please don't be a calorie-counter, eat sensibly, listen to your body, and make sure you are working plenty of quality green veggies in your diet.  Nutrition is all about balance each and every meal (protein, carb, and good fat). 

3]  Exercise at least 3 times a week.  Move your body some way some how... We have written about the numerous benefits of moving in other blog posts.... Bottom-line, if you aren't using muscle tissue you lose it, especially as we progress in age.  If you live a sedentary life, you probably have imbalance in your muscle and joints which will lead to many of the common injury, aches, and pains that a lot of people experience and some even view as the price of old age.  I don't get that; you can do something about that.

4]  Develop a form of Meditation or Quiet-time in your day.  It can be 5 minutes, 20 minutes, or even an hour.  Studies have proven this will lessen daily stresses and hopefully increase happiness. 
Sit in the quietness comfortably, and develop this practice that will help slow things down for you a bit.  It's truly healing.

5]  Drink more Water throughout the day.  Water is cleansing and even gives you energy.  Dehydration brings with it many side-effects like fatigue, headaches, and even kidney problems.  Drink at least 1/2 your bodyweight in ounces each day.  If you're active, drink you bodyweight in ounces each day (for me, that's anywhere from 80 to 160 ounces of water daily).  Sorry, water in soda, coffee, and tea doesn't count here.

6]  This is a HUGE ONE.....  Please pay attention....  stop being so Critical of Yourself.
Fact is that we are our biggest critic.  We are tougher on ourselves than anyone else.  Cut yourself some slack, take it easy, and take a step back.  Realize all the great things you have done.  See how valuable you are.  Remember to celebrate your accomplishments.  Usually we blow past things we accomplish to see what's next.  Slow down, celebrate, and Love yourself with a Self-Five!

7]  Check in with yourself throughout the day.  Look at your emotions and how you feel about the things that go on in your life.  Let your guard down a bit if you have to, pull the armor down and see what you care about or even what angers or disappoints you.  This is a call for you to feel what's happening in that brain and heart of yours....Let's LIVE and not get trapped in the mundane habit of sometimes functioning as a damn robot.  Feel, Live, Love and Thrive!

These are some helpful guidelines that I hope will give you a template on how to attack your day and take care of your most precious commodity, YOU.


As always, we are here to help.